


SOCIAL INJUSTICE

by The_New_Kid



Series: Maya [2]
Category: CSI: NY, Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:34:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26066566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_New_Kid/pseuds/The_New_Kid
Summary: Flack’s childhood friend Maya returns to NY and finds the city in the midst of a riot.This is the second installment of the ‘MAYA’ series.There are a lot of triggers in this one.If you are disturbed by the aftermath of gang rapeor protesting racial inequality, please do not read on.Although this story has a familiar theme,it is set at the end of the CSI NY TV series,Which was 2013.
Relationships: Don Flack/Original Female Character(s), Lindsay Monroe/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Maya [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892551
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

A young couple wearing hoodies squeezed through the fence toward the smoky night sky. “C’mon,” the boy beckoned, “we can get a great view from here!”  
  
“Won’t it be kinda dangerous getting so close the action?” The girl asked, worried, yet at the same time excited by the prospect of being a part of it all.  
  
“Nah, you’ll be safe with me!” The boy assured her as he took her hand and nimbly crept through the parked cars. They could hear the altercation in the distance, and were drawn toward the noise and confusion progressively getting louder as they ran down the road toward the protests.  
  
Just before they reached the disruption in the middle of the hazy street, the boy stopped, pulling the girl, still sprinting toward the crowd, back to him like a rubber band. “What’s wrong?” She asked, breathlessly. The boy just got on one knee, not appreciating the seriousness of the situation transpiring all around them, and took out a ring box, presenting it to her. “OH MY GOD!” She exclaimed, “Here? Now? Are you CRAZY?”  
  
“You have to admit this is the coolest way to propose EVER!” He beamed up at her.  
  
Realizing what was happening, a passerby brought out his cellphone and began to record the spontaneous event. Suddenly, the unmistakeable noise of gunfire sounded, and cries of “Oh my God!” and “He’s been shot!” Rippled through the crowd.  
The cellphone panned past the couple, focusing over to the altercation down the street, where it caught the tail end of a fully automatic rifle being held by a police officer in riot gear, shooting into a bus. “Did you see that?” The cameraman asked no one in particular as he ran toward the mayhem. The camera bounced unsteadily until he reached the chaotic scene, past protesters and skinheads involved in a free-for-all in the middle of the road, and stopped in front of the tragically lifeless body of a young black man, half fallen out of the bus window.  
  
A policeman pushed in front of the man, blocking his view. “Get back! Get back!” He ordered as a large hand grabbed the cellphone, and the camera went black.  
_______________________________  
  
Maya sat on the examining table, looking despondent. The pretty Eurasian girl had bruises showing under the arms of her hospital gown, and her lip was cut. But most concerning was a blue mark highlighting a nasty bump on the bridge of her nose that had begun to bleed under the skin and along the sides making its’ way around her ebony eyes.  
  
“We’d like to do a rape kit.” Captain Olivia Benson suggested.  
  
“No.” She shook her head adamantly. “I don’t want to.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Look, I’m not even sure I was raped. I let him in, and I told them I would do anything they wanted if they let me live.” Maya’s shoulders drooped. “I gave them permission.”  
  
“Did you want to have sex with them?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Then permission given under duress doesn’t count.”  
  
Maya’s head snapped up quickly as someone rushed into the room. “Junior!” She cried out, discouraged. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“Your name came up in the system. Why didn’t you call me?”  
  
“There was nothing to say.”  
  
Flack turned to Olivia. “Detective Don Flack 12th precinct. What happened?”  
  
“Captain Olivia Benson, SVU.”  
  
Flack raised his eyebrows, “Captain?”  
  
“The hospital asks for me if they need a little more discretion,” She whispered, “You know... celebrities... Are you her...”  
  
“I’m a friend.”  
  
“We got a call from the hospital of a possible rape victim, but she refuses to have a kit done.”  
  
Flack regarded Maya with surprise, “Why?”  
  
“Because I didn’t have one done the last time.” she snapped back, “Why should I start now?” Glancing up at his look of disappointment she swore under her breath and turned away.  
  
Olivia could have sworn Flack actually looked hurt as he inquired, “This has happened before?”  
  
“Look, I know the routine. I don’t want to be asked about what I was wearing, or how I knew them, or why I let them in. I don’t need to go through what happened all over again.”  
  
“Them?” Flack asked, surprised. “Don’t you want to bring THEM to justice?” He stressed the word ‘them’ with disdain.  
  
“Consider this my payment to THEM for letting me live.”  
  
“Why don’t we do a kit in case you change your mind?” Olivia suggested gently. “You’re here, anyways.”  
  
“It only takes a minute, I’ll hold your hand all the way through it!” Flack quipped, trying to ease the tension.  
  
“Ok, that’s it! I’ll do it! Just get out! NOW!” Flack could hear her mumbling as Olivia closed the curtain. “There should be a law against this!” Maya knew he was just outside as she yelled over at him, “I’m doing this under duress!”  
  
Flack stared helplessly at the white curtain, trying unsuccessfully to make out what was happening to his old childhood friend on the other side. He sighed as he realized that maybe he didn’t want to know after all, and dropped down miserably on the uncomfortable metal chair.  
_________

“Alright,” Olivia said gently, “we just need one more sample, and then you’re done.” The nurse placed the swab in the container and put it into the kit. “How many attackers were there?”  
  
“I’m not sure. More than eight and less than twelve?” Maya said defensively. “Look, it’s not like I lined them up against the wall and counted them!”  
  
“HOW many?” Came a perturbed voice from the other side of the curtain.  
  
Maya shook her head with disbelief. “You heard me.”  
  
Flack poked his head through the curtain as the nurse left the room and avoided looking at Maya, directing his question to Olivia. “Is it alright if I come in?”  
  
Olivia nodded. “Sure. We’re done here.”  
  
He brought out his pad and pen. “Can you describe any of the men?”  
  
Maya shuffled uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t call any of them ‘Men’. More like assholes.”  
  
Flack tried hard to keep his professional demeanour. “I’m sorry, Maya.” He said sincerely.  
  
Maya shrugged, “It was dark.”  
  
Olivia got up and placed her hand on Flack’s pad. “Maybe I should ask the questions, Lieutenant.” She offered.  
  
Flack realized this was more of a demand than a request. Conflict of interest and all. “You’re right.” He conceded as he put the pad away. “Should I...?” He indicated to the metal chair.  
  
“Yes.” Olivia agreed.  
  
“I’ll be right outside if you need me.” He told Maya. “Do you need a ride?”  
  
Maya glanced at him sceptically. “Not if you’re just gonna send a squad car like last time.”  
  
Flack flashed a sardonic smile. “No I’ll take you to the hotel myself. I promise.”  
  
“OK, then.” She finally looked up at him as she smiled sadly, accepting his offer. “Thanks.”  
  
Flack stared into her big almond eyes for the first time since he arrived and got a good look at the bruises showcasing her ordeal. The one on her forehead started to travel down her face and the initial red bruising had begun to encircle her eyes. He hesitated, resisting the urge to rush over and hold her protectively, or run out and hunt the scumbags down that did this to her. He wasn’t sure which one he wanted to do most. “I’ll be right outside.” He reiterated, realizing she needed him there more.  
  
Olivia turned to Maya. “So,” she started, “do you feel like telling me what happened?”  
  
Maya sighed and debated whether or not she wanted to delve. “I met this guy in the hotel bar last night, and we kinda hit it off.” She divulged. “We had a couple of drinks and I invited him up to my room.”  
  
“Who initiated the conversation?”  
  
Maya thought for a split second. “He did.”  
  
“Can you describe him?”  
  
“Nice looking, about six feet, short brown hair, mid-thirties, he was wearing a suit and tie.”  
  
“Did he give you a name?”  
  
“Tim or Jim, something like that.” She struggled to recall more, “I didn’t get a last name.”  
  
“Anything else you can think of that might be of help?”  
  
Maya shook her head.  
  
“Once you got to your room, did he force himself on you?” Olivia continued.  
  
“No, everything was pretty normal except... he must have unlocked the front door.” Taking a deep breath, she continued angrily. “Because when we were done, a bunch of guys came into the bedroom, and he just got up and left.” Maya stared up at the ceiling, holding back tears of humiliation. “I was set up.” She turned to the curtain sharply as she heard the metal chair scrape on the floor and a set of heavy footsteps leaving the outer room. Disheartened, she turned to Olivia, realizing she had forgotten that Flack was right there.  
  
Trying to get a sense of Maya’s emotional state, Olivia changed the subject. “You mentioned this has happened to you before, do you care to tell me what happened then?” She probed. This was a tactic she often used, having the victim relate a similar incident from her past that had already been processed, the hope being that when they returned to the current issue, she would be able to approach it with a clearer head.  
  
“What does that have to do...”  
  
“Humour me.”  
  
Maya realized she had divulged too much to turn back now. “When we were eighteen, Flack joined the Police Academy, and I realized I had no one, except my abusive father left at home, so I took off. I figured I had nothing to lose.” She let out a sarcastic snort. “Boy, was I wrong! I had the most important thing in the world to lose. My life.” Maya jumped off the examination table. “Can I get dressed, now?”  
  
Olivia nodded.  
  
“I suppose I was what one would call promiscuous,” she made a parenthesis sign in the air sarcastically, “because I would pick up guys whenever I could for some fun and a place to sleep that night. I justified it by saying I was just having a string of one-night stands, however in retrospect...” She hurriedly threw on her pants and shirt. “I met these two guys on the train. I was hunkering down for the night, and they struck up a conversation with me, and I thought... what the heck... it’s GOTTA be safer than spending the night on the train... you make some stupid decisions when you’re young.” She reflected. “So I started flirting with the cuter one, but the other guy kept hanging around, too. That’s when they told me that they were roommates, and I didn’t think anything of it...” Her devil-may-care attitude melted away as she stopped and gave a stuttered sigh. “They kept me captive for three days.” She said quietly, as an unwanted tear fell down her cheek. “They even invited their friends over the second day,” She closed her eyes, lowered her head and murmured, reluctantly, “and they all took turns. I’ll never understand how people can justify doing things that they know are wrong in a group that they wouldn’t even consider doing by themselves.” Olivia regarded her compassionately, unable to answer as her pleading eyes bored straight into her soul. “I mean, is it inherent in all men, just waiting for an excuse to come out?”  
  
“Not all men, Maya.”  
  
Shrugging off the moment of melancholy at the long-buried memory, her tough facade began to reappear as leaned against the wall, putting on her shoes. “I made them think I was really into it, waiting for my chance to get away. They started to relax and untied me, so that I could ‘serve’ them better.” The bitterness in her voice hung in the air as she paused. “The next morning I managed to escape, and ran out with nothing on but my tank top.” she gave a huge sigh as she sat back down grasping her coat around her. “I didn’t stop until I was blocks away. I didn’t even try to get help, I just ran. Finally I ran into a cop and he took me into the precinct, but they didn’t take me seriously. They kept asking me what I was wearing, why I went home with them... They even asked me how much I charged! They looked at me like it was my fault.”  
  
“Is that why you didn’t go to the police this time?”  
  
Maya nodded. “I came straight to the hospital.”  
  
“Things are different now.”  
  
“Not that much different.” She looked at Olivia condescendingly, “Maybe on your side of things, but once I get to court I’ll be victimized all over again. The lawyers will all be busy trying to prove that I was the instigator, and their clients are all blameless. Innocent until proven guilty, isn’t that still the rule?” Olivia nodded. “So in the yin and yang of things, that must make me guilty until proven innocent, right?” Maya grabbed her bag. “Thanks but no thanks.”  
  
Olivia managed to hand Maya her card before she exited the hospital room. “Give me a call if you change your mind.” She offered.  
  
Maya gave an unconvincing nod as she took the card.  
______________________________________________________________________

“This one goes to the top of the list.” Mac Taylor informed his subordinates, Detectives Danny Messer and Sheldon Hawkes. They both nodded in agreement. It was rare that an unarmed civilian was shot by riot police, but when it happens, understandably all the I’s had to be dotted and all the T’s crossed. Hoping there was some mistake, or that there was another shooter in the proverbial grassy knoll was not an option, they had to go with whatever the evidence spelled out for them. Which meant that every inch of the crime scene had to be processed, no matter how long it took. Even if it was the busiest intersection in New York.  
  
Detective Jamie Lovato, who had been discussing the events with Mac, brought them up to date. “The victim is Jamal Brown, he was a third year student at Chelsea University, studying Political Science. He was coming down to join some friends when a fight broke out between protesters and white supremacists, spilling out onto the road. That’s when the riot police stepped in. Sergeant Fitzgerald was trying to negotiate a peaceful end when Officer Soriano fired on the bus.”  
  
“Without a direct order? How could something like that happen?” Danny asked in disbelief.  
  
Jamie shrugged. “He swears the gun went off by itself. He felt a jolt, and several rounds went off automatically.”  
  
“How so? A malfunction?” Sheldon asked Jamie. “Where’s the gun now?”  
  
“Back at the station. It’s already been bagged and tagged and put into evidence.” Jamie explained. “Sorry you can’t get a look at it right away. We had to get it out of circulation as soon as possible.”  
  
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Danny agreed as he turned to Sheldon. “So, what do you want? Inside or outside?”  
  
“You better do inside, I can’t leave you out here with that angry mob hovering around.” Sheldon graciously offered, “Especially with you about to be a father again!”  
  
“I appreciate that, Sheldon!” Danny smiled, as he went into the bus with his kit. “I’ll make sure Lindsay sends you a thank-you card!”  
  
“No need, just name the kid after me!” Sheldon quipped as he began to process the evidence on the street.  
______________________________________________________________________________

Don stood at the end of the hallway, looking intently out at the hospital parking lot. “Junior?” A small voice said behind him.  
  
He came out of his trance and faced Maya. “Hey, Kiddo,” he asked cautiously, “You OK?”  
  
“Sure.” His face seemed strangely dark. “You?”  
  
Don looked back out the window and took a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t stick around back there. I just couldn’t do it.”  
  
Maya regarded him quizzically. “You must hear stuff like that all the time.”  
  
“Not from someone I know,” Don admitted, glancing back at her. He tried not to stare at her deepening scarlet eyes. “Not from someone I care about.”  
  
Maya stood, thoughtfully. “I’m sorry for putting you through all that, Junior.”  
  
“You see, that’s the thing...YOU didn’t put me through that, it was the scumbags that...” his voice drifted off. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words. His usually tough exterior broke down, and he felt the tears threaten to fall as he stared back out at the night sky.  
  
“HURT me?” Maya injected carefully.  
  
Flack gave a slight nod, disguising it as if to make like he was changing the subject, “Look, I was talking to the nurse, and they want me to stick around in case you have a concussion.”  
  
“You can just drop me off at the hotel, I’m OK.”  
  
“Rules are rules, Maya. I just need to pick up a toothbrush, and we’ll have a sleepover. Just like old times!” He joked as he grabbed the wheelchair parked in the corner. “C’mon. They won’t let you outta here without this.”  
____________________

Not venturing past the doorway, Maya scrutinized her hotel room. It was trashed. Garbage was strewn everywhere, pillows were tossed from the couch and the mini bar fridge was open and empty. She broke down, sobbing and Don hugged her tightly. Not a word passed between them as he gently guided her back out and closed the door.  
______________________________________________________________________________

On the street Sheldon picked up everything that could possibly be evidence, from a silver gum wrapper to a lipstick-rimmed coffee cup. Everything was collected and categorized. Inside the bus, Danny took samples of the blood stains on the window of the vehicle and measured the trajectory of the splatter pattern on the floor to eventually compare it to the wounds of the unfortunate victim, determining where the gunshots originated from.  
  
“Danny!” Came a voice from the street. “I’m guessing you’re not getting home any time soon.” Lindsay had ducked under the police tape and was calling him from right underneath the window of the bus.  
  
“Sorry Babe.” He returned, “I’m getting time-and-a-half and I intend to take full advantage of it!” He joked. “I’ll be home on Wednesday!” He appeared at the door of the bus. “I’m glad it was me on duty when we got the call and not you.” He confided.  
  
“Me too.” She admitted. “But I suspect that I wouldn’t have been called to the scene regardless, they seem to have put me on lab duty lately, away from any action.”  
  
Danny stepped down from the bus and put his arms around her. “It’s for your own good, and Little Danny’s.” He indicated to her baby bump.  
  
“Little Robert.” She corrected him.  
  
“Aw, come on Babe,” Danny protested, “We can name the next boy after your Dad. This one’s mine!”  
  
“Oh no! I’m not going through this again!” She assured him. “I’ll see you back home when you’re done!” She gave him a big kiss. “I’ll show Lucy pictures so she won’t forget who you are!”  
  
“Make sure you do! See you on Wednesday!” Danny waved goodbye and turned back to the bus. Once inside, he looked about and heaved a heavy sigh, resigning himself to a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

Maya opened her eyes, faced with four stark walls, broken only by a window on her left and a plywood door on her right. She gave a sigh of contentment when she remembered that she was in Don’s apartment. DON! She realized with a start. Curiously she peered over the side of the bed, and there he was, sleeping soundly on the floor. He had wanted to stay close so that he could check on her periodically throughout the night. Smiling cannily she remembered how he used to sleep there as a kid when he snuck her into his room to play video games on the weekends. That was one of her happiest memories. His mom would make popcorn, and there would be more that ended up on the floor than in their stomachs. He would grab the vacuum from the hall closet and she would watch from the bed as he cleaned up the mess before his mom found out. Then they would make a fuss, saying goodnight loudly while he closed the front door as she snuck back into his room. They played video games until three in the morning and he would let her sleep in his bed while he lay down on the freshly vacuumed floor for the night. Yep, those were the best of times.  
  
Grace, Don’s giant bull-mastiff cross sat at the end of the bed watching her with a confused look on her face, as if wondering why it wasn’t her best friend sleeping there. Maya patted her thigh, inviting the rescue dog to come and snuggle with her, and Grace not-so-gracefully took her up on the offer, edging her off the bed by rolling on top of her with her muscular hundred-pound body. Maya soon gave up trying to stay aloft and got up, making a shushing noise to the dog, who emitted a low-pitched whine. Nimbly stepping over Don’s sleeping head, she made her way to the bathroom, wrapping his extra-large pyjama top around her like a robe.  
  
Avoiding the mirror, knowing what was in store while she took a drink of water, Maya accidentally saw her reflection when she reached for the toothbrush Don picked up at the convenience store the previous night. What she saw shocked her. Staring at two blood-shot black eyes peering back, she realized that because there was no ‘meat’ on her forehead, the bruise on the bridge had nowhere else to go except down the path of least resistance, along the sides of her nose and completely around her eyes. She had noticed the bruising the night before, but now it encircled her entire eye with a deep purple hue that had it not been so tragic could have passed for a very desirable eye shadow colour. She reached into her purse and put on her dark cat’s-eye sunglasses.  
  
Don rolled over on the carpet and opened his eyes, only to see Grace looking down at him, with a long trail of drool just missing his head. “Good morning, beautiful.” He smiled at the dog affectionately. Grace perked up ready to play. “Go get her!” He whispered mischievously. “Go get Maya!” The dog looked up and over to the living room, recognizing the name from the night before when he had introduced them. She jumped off the bed, and loped into the next room. Discovering Maya in the bathroom, she jumped on her playfully, knocking her over. Maya laughed and tumbled onto the bathroom floor as the dog’s powerful jaws clamped onto her arm, not daring to bite down for fear of hurting her. They roughhoused together until Grace heard her master’s voice mockingly chastising her, and sending her to her bed in the corner. “Still want a dog?” He asked as he offered Maya his hand to help her up.  
  
“In a heartbeat!” Maya replied, breathlessly, her troubles temporarily forgotten. As children, she and Junior had discussed for hours what kind of dog she would ultimately get. Studying all the breeds, they finally decided on either a German Shepherd or a Doberman Pinscher. “But not until I settle down.” She added.  
  
Flack could see his reflection in her sunglasses, knowing they were hiding the truth, and chose wisely not to say anything. “You want breakfast?”  
  
“You cooking?”  
  
“Of course!” He assured her, eager to show off his cooking skills.  
  
Maya regarded him sceptically. “So... Cereal, then?”  
  
“You have NO idea.” Don smiled his crooked smile.  
___________

“Junior,” Maya started, as she picked apart her ham omelette, “the CSI team you work with, do they only investigate murders?”  
  
“No,” was the answer, “but murder’s more interesting!” She raised her eyebrows and peered at him over her sunglasses. Don cleared his throat and started over again. “No, why?”  
  
“I was just wondering who would process the evidence if I decided to pursue it.” She mused.  
  
“Do you want to pursue it?”  
  
“I’m not sure. Captain Benson thinks I should.”  
  
“What do you think?”  
  
“I think that it might not be worth my while.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“It was all a blur.” She sighed. “I just wanted it to be over.”  
  
“What do you remember?”  
  
“Not much, just...” Maya sat back in her chair and scowled. “Quit it.”  
  
“Quit what?”  
  
“Quit interrogating me.” She scolded, “I just want to have a regular conversation with you.”  
  
“This is anything BUT a regular conversation, Maya.” He confided, “You realize that my first instinct is to convince you to seek prosecution, so maybe I’m not the right person to discuss this with.”  
  
“I know you’ll always advise whatever’s best for me... in your opinion.”  
  
“Since when did you trust my opinion?”  
  
“Don’t let it go to your head, but I trust your opinion more than you think I do.”  
  
“You didn’t trust me enough to call me last night.” He sounded hurt.  
  
“I didn’t want to bother you.”  
  
“I didn’t even know you were in town.”  
  
“I was going to contact you, I just had some business to attend to, first.”  
  
“What kind of business?”  
  
“Contracts to sign, music to go over, you know, boring stuff.” She hesitated for a moment, contemplating. “Your team... can you get them to gather evidence in my hotel room in case I decide to... request an investigation?” Maya wasn’t sure she knew what the process was.  
  
“It’s not exactly MY team, and usually you ‘request an investigation’ before they gather the evidence, but yeah, I can ask them when I go in to work today.” He assured her, “Will you be OK here, alone?”  
  
“Thanks. And I won’t be alone, Grace will be here with me.” She grinned as Grace, recognizing her name, jumped up on her and licked her face, quickly turning to the table and started to eat the leftovers on her plate. “Hey!”  
  
“You’re sitting in her chair,” Don explained, as he shooed the dog away, “she thinks you’re eating HER food.” He got up, finished his orange juice, and straightened his tie in preparation for work.  
  
“Nice tie!” She quipped, “Isn’t that your dad’s?”  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
“It IS your dad’s!” A big grin appeared on Maya’s face.  
  
Flack ignored her last comment. “We should call the hotel to make sure the maids don’t come in and clean.” He advised.  
  
Maya shook her head, “I have a standing order that the maids don’t come in unless I request it.” She divulged as she put her plate down on the floor for Grace to finish off, “I don’t wanna worry that they’re gonna suddenly show up at all hours of the morning!” The dog ate everything with one large slurp, and Maya glanced at Don before covertly giving her his plate.  
  
“OK,” Don grabbed the car keys off his desk, “the spare keys are here beside the door, if you want to take Grace for a walk.” The dog wagged her tail wildly at the words ‘Grace’ and ‘walk’ and ran over to him. “Go ask Maya!” He pointed at her, “Maya will take you for a walk!” Grace went lumbering back to Maya just as she was picking up the empty plates from the floor, bowling her over. “Good Luck!” Flack smirked as he quickly ran out, slamming the door behind him.  
______________________________

Later that morning Maya stood in front of Don’s apartment building, Grace’s leash in hand. Wagging her tail, the dog looked up at her with anticipation and Maya realized that she had no idea where to go. She looked at her new expectant friend and said only one word. “Park!”. Maya smiled as Grace turned around and led her down the sidewalk like a furry divining rod.  
  
When they arrived at the park, it was packed with people, carrying protest signs and periodically chanting ‘Justice for Jane! Justice for Jane!’, only lowering their signs briefly as they stopped to listen to a woman with a megaphone. “Justice for Jane!” She began amid cheers and salutes. “As an Indigenous woman, she had the right to seek aid at a hospital where they are supposed to take care of you and comfort you. Instead all she heard were taunts and cruel racial slurs as she lay dying in her hospital bed. We can’t let her death go unnoticed! How many others suffered an undignified death at the hands of calloused, racist care workers that DO NOT value all human life!” The crowd shouted their agreement as she continued speaking about racism and social injustice.  
  
As she tried to get through the crowd to her favourite spot in the park Grace seemed to be more than a little nervous. People were leaning against her special tree and sitting on her beloved rock. Maya reached into her pocket and felt the dog’s tennis ball, looking around trepidatiously. The crowd was well behaved for the time being, but she sensed it could get volatile at any moment. She was going to have to find somewhere else for Grace to play soon. The pup was starting to cross her legs and whimper. As she headed across the street, a teenage boy dressed in black handed her a flyer. ‘Brooklyn Bridge, Sunset.’ Was all it said. She stuffed it into her pocket, and led Grace to the small patch of grass adjacent to the park. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. Maya rolled the ball to the dog, getting her to fetch it back and forth as she half-listened to the drone of the woman with the loudspeaker talking about racial inequality and police brutality. Some of her words actually made sense, but other parts seemed too pie-in-the-sky to ever come to fruition.  
  
As a multi-racial child, Maya experienced discrimination many times growing up. The woman’s words stirred long silenced feelings she had pushed down for years. Memories of being taunted with racial rhetoric from kids so much that it made her wish to God she wasn’t so ugly instead of embracing her uniqueness. She remembered how after walking home from school she would take off her jacket to find it mottled with spit, and how Junior had hunted the boys down and defended her when he found out. Or how complete strangers would ask her not-so-subtly point blank what nationality she was to slot her in a category, for their own selfish reasons. Not that it was any of their business.  
  
She sighed and rolled the ball to Grace again. Before the pup could catch up to it, the ball was intercepted and she glanced up with surprise at the culprit. “Astrid!” She called out to the young man.  
  
Astrid grinned widely as he bounced the ball back to the excited dog. “Hey, Maya! What are you doing here?” Noticing her huge sunglasses, he quipped, “Going incognito?”  
  
“Just walking a friend’s dog,” she hugged the boy fondly. “You in a show right now?”  
  
“Nope, the one I was in just closed down.” He shrugged remorsefully. “Too bad, I was finally Dance Captain! Well, at least I got two month’s work out of it!”  
  
“Wow! Congratulations!” Maya scowled, “And I’m sorry.”  
  
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what they said.”  
  
“Well, you never know who might have seen your performance.” She said, trying to make him feel better, “It could be your next director!”  
  
“Doubtful, I don’t think anyone saw it. It only lasted a week! Are you going over to the rally?”  
  
Maya looked over at the crowd accumulating across the street. “Oooh, I don’t think that would be a good idea, not with the dog.” She backed out graciously. Not that she was intending to go, anyways. She was never good at making political statements.  
  
“You should go. We’re calling for Justice for Jane and protesting police brutality in the Jamal Brown incident.”  
  
“You mean the guy that was shot on the bus?”  
  
“Yeah, we want the police to know we’re not taking it any more.”  
  
Maya looked at the restless crowd and sensed their mood turning ugly. “I-I don’t think so.”  
  
“I’m surprised,” Astrid remarked off-the-cuff, “as a ‘Person of Colour’ I would have thought you would be first in line to support racial equality.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“You’ve fought harder than anyone to get as far as you have. It couldn’t have been easy for you to get the lead in ‘Svengali’. I know for a fact that you had to be twice as good as your competition for the directors to even CONSIDER you for the part.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess I didn’t fit their initial vision of what their character should look like.” Maya mused, reflecting on how previously, it had gotten to the point where she would try to get hold of a script before she auditioned. Sometimes she didn’t even bother if the character had a family member in the story, because she knew they would never cast another ‘Person of Colour’ to play her relative.  
  
Astrid chipped in, “Tell me about it. They say there is, but we’re reminded every day that there’s no such thing as ‘colourblind casting’. But you showed them!”  
  
Maya blushed. “I guess being awarded ‘Newcomer of the Year’ is pretty good, and if Kenneth Jacobs hadn’t given me the chance, I’d still be fighting it out in the chorus!”  
  
"With me!" He agreed. "But it's changing, slowly... I just auditioned for a new musical called 'Hamilton', and the composer is really keen on making it diverse."  
  
"You mean with brothers and sisters, moms and dads all 'People of Colour'?" Maya asked, disbelievingly.  
  
"Yeah," Astrid insisted, "he just wants to tell the story."  
  
"Well, I wish him luck." Maya mused. "And you!" she smiled back up at him, her face bright with hope.  
  
Astrid regarded her for a moment. “You need to come and march with us. Racial inequality...” He tried tempting her.  
  
“It’s not a game, Astrid.” She chastised.  
  
“Still, it would be great for a headliner like you to show your support.”  
  
“Ahhhh...That’s not my thing. AND my handlers would go ballistic! I mean it sucks, don’t get me wrong, but that’s the way it is.” Feeling like a cop-out, she explained further. “Look, I don’t even know if I would have cast me in the lead role. It’s a pretty big leap of faith to expect the audience will accept someone as the ingenue when she looks more like the maid.”  
  
Astrid turned serious for a moment. “It’s not only about racism, though, Maya, it’s about police brutality, and how they look at us with their hands placed on their guns.”  
  
Maya regarded the boy with the mocha skin and violet eyes, and wondered how someone so beautiful could pose any kind of a threat. “I know.” She told him. “All the things I’ve been through is nothing compared to the danger you’re in every day just for being you.”  
  
“Me? Nah. They just look at me and say ‘Pffft’.” He rolled his eyes and clawed the air.  
  
Maya laughed. “Why? Because you’re gay? You weren’t gay when we first met, my friend.” She reminded him.  
  
“I was sorting out some stuff. You almost changed my mind.” He joked.  
  
“As if you had a choice.” She added. “It’s a shame, too. We had some fun.” Maya gently brushed his cheek with her hand.  
  
Astrid grabbed her hand, twirled her around and hugged her. “We can still have fun.”  
  
Maya giggled as she melted into his arms. Grace whined and sat down in front of them, not sure about what to do. “It’s ok, Grace. We’re just being silly.” She assured the dog.  
  
Astrid looked over at the park as the woman with the megaphone got louder. “I better get over there, I’m meeting some friends. Did you get a flyer?”  
  
Maya reached into her pocket and showed him the piece of paper she was given earlier. “Yeah.”  
  
“We’re meeting at the skate park under the bridge.” He offered.  
  
“Cool, thanks.” She had no intention of going. He gave her one last squeeze and darted across the road. Maya sighed as she watched him pick up a protest sign and join his friends, wondering vaguely if she was wrong to be so complacent. Grace cocked her head, as if asking her ‘what’s next?’. “Home!” She told the dog. With that, Grace immediately loped back down the sidewalk, pulling Maya behind her.  
____________________________

Grace entered the apartment first, the tennis ball in her mouth, looking as proud as punch. “Can we put it off for a couple weeks?” Maya asked the person on the other end of her cellphone as she made her way directly into the bathroom. “I just need to take some time off.” She removed her sunglasses and grimaced as she looked into the mirror. “Personal business.” Grabbing the leash, she managed to undo it from the collar with one hand and place it on the hook. “Yes, I know it’s all of a sudden, but...” she cleared her throat. “I’m sick, that’s all.” Grace watched her, cocking her head with consternation. “Look, it’s not like I’m asking for a year. I just have some issues right now.” She sighed, as she debated whether or not to tell her manager the truth. “I’ve had an altercation.” She hesitated for a moment. “No, it has nothing to do with the demonstrations.” She shook her head vehemently. “What do you mean bad publicity? If anything, I SHOULD be taking part. This directly involves me, I’ve been dealing with this crap all my life!” Maya looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold back her tears. “You couldn’t possibly understand.” Abruptly, she hung up the phone and took the piece of paper she was given out of her pocket, staring at it angrily.  
______________________________________________________________________

“I know you have up to 48 hours before you have to face an inquiry,” Mac Taylor told the perplexed officer seated in his interrogation room, “but the sooner you give me information on the shooting, the quicker we can solve this mystery.”  
  
“It’s a mystery to me too, Detective.” Officer Soriano threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “I’ve been mulling it over in my mind, and all I remember was that the rifle jolted, and...” he stopped, shy of admitting he had accidentally pulled the trigger, “it all happened SO fast! I wasn’t even aiming at anything!”  
  
“The bullets fanned across the bus.” Mac remarked, crisply. “You’re lucky you didn’t kill more passengers.”  
  
Officer Soriano stiffened at the accusation. “I was just doing my job, Detective.” With that, he sat back on his chair, his icy glare signifying the end of the interview.


	3. Chapter 3

Flack came through the apartment door with a paper grocery bag in his arms. “You thought breakfast was great, wait ‘till you see what I have planned for dinner!” There was no answer. “Hey, Grace!” He greeted the dog as she came up to meet him. “Where’s Maya?” He asked rhetorically as he placed the bag on the kitchen table. “Maya?” He picked up the crumpled piece of paper Maya had left behind and read it. Swearing under his breath, he quickly turned around and headed back out.  
  
Maya looked up at him as he opened the door. “Junior?” She asked, the keys still poised to open the lock.  
  
“Maya!” He exclaimed, suddenly embarrassed. “I thought I heard something.”  
  
She wasn’t sure she believed him. “You OK?”  
  
“Yeah, I was just going to ask you the same thing.” He moved over to let her in and closed the door.  
  
“Just ran out to get some ice cream.”  
  
“I’m making dinner,” Flack informed her as he began to unpack his grocery bag, trying his best to be nonchalant. “You like steak?” Taking the ice cream from her, he placed it in the freezer.  
  
“Who doesn’t?” She laughed. “You know I don’t feel like I’ve eaten unless there’s meat involved!”  
  
Flack moved her over to the light. “Let me take a look at you...” removing her sunglasses, he unintentionally balked. “Whoa! Maybe we should just put the steaks right on your eyes!”  
  
“It’s not that bad.”  
  
“‘It’s not that bad’?” He mocked her, “You look like a raccoon.”  
  
“I prefer to think lemur or red panda.”  
  
“Either way, it’s not human.”  
  
“Boy, you really know how to sweet talk a girl! Tell me, how is it you’re still single, again?”  
______________________________________________________________________

“How are you doing?” Lindsay asked her husband as she passed him busily working in the laboratory .  
  
“Good, why?”  
  
“Did you manage to get enough sleep last night? You were still fast asleep when I came in to work this morning.”  
  
“Ah, you know me, Babe. As long as I get my four hours...”  
  
Lindsay sighed and gave him a look of consternation.  
  
“No, really,” Danny clarified, “I got about six hours. I’m good.” He put the water bottle he was examining down as Lindsay looked over his shoulder, resting her chin on him affectionately. “You know, I’m suspecting this bottle was frozen.” He took the opportunity to think out loud with Lindsay there. “There’s no fingerprints on it, and there’s only two reasons for that... either someone took the time to wipe the fingerprints off, which doesn’t make sense, or there was so much condensation that they never stuck on in the first place. There were fingerprints on the bottle-cap, but they were too smudged to lift. That being said, I could still determine that the thumbprint was upside down, which tells me it’s possible someone held it like this...” he grabbed the top of the bottle and turned it upside down like a club, “and threw it. Sheldon and Jamie are looking over any social media footage of the incident for a suspect.”  
  
“Was there any DNA?”  
  
“The seal’s been broken. I’m hoping the perp was stupid enough to take a sip to make more room for the ice to expand before he froze it. I’ll take a closer look in a minute.” He put his arm around Lindsay and held her tightly. “Right now, there’s more important things for me to pay attention to.”  
  
“Right here?” She giggled.  
  
“Sure, why not?” He kissed her. “There’s a supply room right over there.”  
  
“Oh, how romantic!” She pushed him away good-naturedly. “I’m off in half an hour, but I’ll probably be fast asleep again by the time you get home!”  
  
“Not if I wake you up...”  
  
Lindsay patted her huge tummy, “I’ll see if I can squeeze into my neglige.” She joked as she kissed him on the cheek. “Meet you back home. I’m off to do some charity work!” Ignoring Danny’s confused look, she exited the lab.  
______________________________________________________________________

“Remember when your dad insisted that the sticky marshmallows were stale?” Maya asked as they finished dinner.  
  
“Yeah, and the dry ones were fresh! Mom got so mad at him!” Flack laughed. “I think he said that on purpose just to rile her up!”  
  
“It worked!” Maya giggled, “And then we had the marshmallow-eating contest to prove him wrong! I had a toothache for a week!”  
  
“I miss her.” Flack admitted, quietly.  
  
“Me too. She was the closest thing to a mother I ever knew.”  
  
He sat back and reminisced “I remember she was the best cook.”  
  
“She sure was!” Maya agreed. “Say, did you ever notice that I would show up every Saturday morning?”  
  
“You were always over.”  
  
“Yeah, but I came over especially on Saturday mornings because that was when she baked. I loved it when she made scones. They were pretty much a handful of berries with some flour holding them together!”  
_____

“Thank you for the scone, Mrs. Flack.” Eight-year old Maya said as she polished off her last buttery bite. “You used to bring these over when you came to visit my mother.”  
  
“You remember that?” Mrs Flack asked with wonderment. “You were only four.”  
  
“I never forgot them. They were the best!”  
  
“Would you like another one?” She asked, pleased by the compliment.  
  
Maya glanced at Junior and Samantha, who were still only half way finished theirs and shook her head slowly, too polite to ask for more. “No thank you Mrs. Flack.”  
  
Don Junior looked over at Maya’s empty plate. “I’m getting full. You can have the rest of mine.” He offered with his mouth full. Maya shook her head again. “Well, at least take a bite.” He pushed the plate toward her. Maya smiled and took a small bite. Junior took the plate back, bit into the scone, and pushed it back to her. The game continued, each bite getting smaller and smaller until there was only one bite left. He then picked up the tiny morsel and held it in front of Maya’s face, and as she was about to take a nibble, popped the rest into her mouth. She laughed, having no other choice but to swallow it. “Let’s play Hogan’s Alley!” He suggested as they left the table and disappeared into his bedroom.  
  
Don Senior looked up from his newspaper as his wife cleared off the plates. “That girl can eat.” He observed.  
  
Mrs. Flack nodded. “I don’t think she gets much ever since her mother died. Did you see her? She’s skin and bones.”  
  
Don Senior got up and hugged his wife. “This is why I love you, sweetheart. Your heart is bigger than all of New York. With your hands full of your own kids, you still have room for another one.”  
  
“I just wish I could do more.” She sighed, regretfully.  
  
“Mr. Alonzo is a proud man.” Don Senior stated, “He won’t give up Maya without a fight.”  
  
“I didn’t mean adopt her!” She clarified, “I just worry about her, growing up without a mother. It’s sweet how Donny’s taken her under his wing.”  
  
“Like mother, like son.” her husband said as he kissed her.  
  
“Don...”  
  
“Hmmm?”  
  
“If you’re going to be around all day, you might as well help me clean up!” She scolded as she handed him the plates.  
_______

“I don’t remember my mother.” Maya sighed.  
  
“You don’t?” Flack questioned as he cleared off the dinner plates.  
  
“I don’t even remember what she looked like. I remember her shape. And her hair. It was long, and dark, like mine.” Maya shook her head. “But I’m not even sure if that was a real memory or just logic. I found a picture of her once.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Yeah. I knew it was her because it was their wedding photo. Her hair was up, so I couldn’t tell what it looked like... and I didn’t recognize her face.” She admitted sadly. “I would stare at that picture for ages, just wondering who she was, what she was really like.” Maya looked off into the distance. “I imagined that she was perfect, like an angel.” She hesitated, “But then why would she have married my dad?”  
  
“Wow. You’re overthinking this.” Flack stated, “They were young when they got married, yeah?” Maya nodded. “People change.”  
  
“I guess.” She hesitated. “I know we’ve changed.”  
  
Flack regarded Maya for a moment. She seemed to be avoiding his gaze. “Changed how?” He broached carefully, somewhat afraid of her answer.  
  
“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “you’re kinda more serious now.”  
  
“It’s called growing up, Maya.”  
  
“No, it’s not growing up, Junior. You’re different.” She took a deep breath and decided to tell him the truth. “You wanna know why I didn’t call you when I came back into town? It’s because I was afraid of you. When you shot Caleb, there was this look in your eye. And that’s the same look I saw yesterday, in the hospital. You’re not the little boy I played ‘cops and robbers’ with. It’s like I don’t really know you any more.” She added reluctantly, “You’re a trained killer, Don.”  
  
Hurt and angry, Flack lashed back. “Yeah, well this ‘trained killer’ saved your life!”  
  
“And I appreciate it, I do...” Maya tried to mollify him, “I think I...” she struggled for the right words. “Look, you don’t have to keep an eye on me any more. I’m well past the ‘concussion’ stage.” She tried to approach it logically. “I think I should go back to my hotel, now.”  
  
“You can’t go out there.” Flack advised, “It’s a mess. Everyone’s getting wired up for the protests.” He sat back down at the table beside her and handed her the flyer from his pocket. “That’s where I was heading when I met you at the door. I was worried that you were going to do something stupid.”  
  
“Brooklyn Bridge. Sunset.” She read out loud, “I wasn’t planning on going, they were handing them out at the park this morning.” She scoffed. “Besides, what if I did wanna go? It’s a peaceful protest, and it’s for a good reason. What happened on that bus could have happened to any number of my friends.” Her voice grew quiet. “It could have happened to me.”  
  
“Don’t go, Maya.” He tried to reason with her, “There’s counter protests going on, hundreds of Neo-Nazis just waiting for any excuse to attack.”  
  
“Yeah well, you know what?” Her determination began to surface. “Maybe I’m a fool, but I would prefer to be accosted by some racist than experience what is happening in the news today. If I am confronted I can run away. I can fight back. I can cry out for help against my attacker and pray that someone comes to my aid. But you can’t do those things if your oppressor is the police!” Maya got up off the dining room chair. “I don’t think...” she struggled for the right words again, “There’s another side of you that I’ve never met, Junior. A dangerous side. Like Jekyll and Hyde,” she whispered, “and I don’t know if I can trust him.”  
  
Speechless, Flack took a step back, struck by an invisible blow to his heart.  
  
She gathered up what little things she had, her coat, her bag, slowly, secretly hoping he would stop her and promise he would never show that side of himself again. “Sorry, Junior. It’s for the best.” She had gone too far to turn back now. “Thanks for everything.”  
  
There was a quiet whimper beside her. Crouching down she gave her new friend’s head a lingering stroke while she studied her face, as if it was the last time she would ever see her again. “Bye, Grace.” The dog licked the single tear from Maya’s face questioningly and watched her turn and walk out the door.  
___________________________________

Maya entered her hotel suite. The reality that it would still be in disarray had slipped her mind. Overcome with emotion she stayed beside the door, letting it close behind her. Not wanting to wade through the room, she sank down to the ground, her head in her hands and began to sob.  
  
“Maya?” A voice suddenly said.  
  
Maya jumped. “Lindsay! What are you...?”  
  
“I was in the bedroom, collecting evidence.” She explained as she knelt down in front of her. Maya quickly hid her black eyes behind her sunglasses. “Are you alright?”  
  
“Collecting evidence?” Maya remembered Flack was going to talk to the team for her. “I didn’t realize... this late at night?”  
  
“Yeah, Mac said it wasn’t protocol, so I volunteered to come by after work.”  
  
“Oh, no!” Maya exclaimed, feeling incredibly guilty, “I hadn’t meant for you to... I don’t even know if I’m going forward with it.”  
  
Lindsay smiled assuringly, “That’s ok, Danny’s on night shift and Lucy’s sleeping over at his Mom’s, so I didn’t have any plans, anyways.”  
  
Maya took note of her swelling belly, “You should be home, resting.”  
  
“Oh, I’ve got two months to do that!” She dismissed. “Why are you here? I thought you were staying with Flack.”  
  
“We had a fight.”  
  
“Do you want to talk? I’ve packed everything I need. We can go somewhere as soon as a uniform takes it to the lab for me.” She added, “You can get the maids in now, if you want.”  
  
Maya shook her head. “I don’t want to keep you up.”  
  
“You won’t be keeping me up. I’d love to catch up with you.”  
  
Maya thankfully relented, “I-I really would like to talk.”  
_____________

Maya came over to Lindsay seated on the couch in the lobby of her hotel. “They said I can have another room if I want for the night, gratis... due to what happened.”  
  
“That’s good!” Lindsay smiled, “Your drink’s here.” She pushed a martini glass over to her.  
  
Maya took a deep breath as she sat down, relieved that her lodging conundrum was solved at least for one night. “Did Flack mention what happened?” She tilted her head with sudden realization. “Of course he did, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”  
  
“He didn’t really go into detail, he just said you needed our help.” Lindsay said as tactfully as possible, “But the evidence pretty much speaks for itself.” She peered at Maya’s sunglasses. “You know, Danny played a practical joke on me and marked up my microscope once. He used the indelible ink we generally use on microscopy slides.” Maya regarded her with interest. “I had to wear sunglasses for a week!”  
  
Maya couldn’t help snickering at the thought of Lindsay with dark circles permanently etched around her eyes. It felt good to laugh again. “Thanks for all your help.”  
  
“No problem, I’ve just categorized it. I’ll send it to the evidence locker until you decide what you want to do.”  
  
“With the evidence from the last time?”  
  
Lindsay brow furrowed with concern. “This has happened before?”  
  
Maya cursed her candidness. “Yeah, about fifteen years ago, when I was a teenager.” She explained, “It’s just a tank top. They gave me a t-shirt and some miscellaneous clothes I suspect came from lost and found, and told me they would put it into evidence.”  
  
“Do you mind if I take a look at that, too?”  
  
“It’s probably not there any more, that was a while ago.”  
  
“Oh they keep stuff FOREVER! It looks like the last scene of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ over there!” Lindsay assured her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if evidence they gathered from the OK Corral is in there somewhere!”  
  
“Well, go ahead,” She shrugged, “but I don’t know what good it will do, it’s not like I can still press charges.”  
  
“Actually, they’ve changed the Statute of Limitations recently, and you can bring charges up to twenty years after a rape.”  
  
“Twenty years?” Maya asked, contemptuously, “Who would bring up charges after twenty years?”  
  
“You’d be surprised.” Lindsay mused. “Maybe you.”  
  
All of the sudden, the front doors of the hotel opened, and a group of tourists came in chattering loudly. “It’s crazy out there!” One of the women said to her friends, “all those people running around with their protest signs! Like they don’t have anything better to do!”  
  
“Honestly!” Her friend said to her husband, “I don’t see what the big deal is, people get shot all the time! If you don’t want to get in trouble with the police, don’t break the law! That’s what I always say! Isn’t that right, George?” George nodded accordingly.  
  
“I know, right?” The first woman agreed, “If you ask me, they’re just getting what they deserve.”  
  
Lindsay grimaced uncomfortably as the two white couples continued to spout out their misinformed opinions all the way to the elevator.  
  
“You know what I call people like that?” Maya quipped, trying to ease the tension.  
  
Lindsay shook her head.  
  
“Tighty Whities!” Maya grinned widely. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself! It feels SO good to sink to their level once in a while.” She confessed.  
  
“I can do better than that!” Lindsay promised as she got up and walked toward the elevator. “Excuse me Ladies, Sirs,” she addressed the couples as she flashed her badge. “NYPD.” They stopped in their tracks, confused. “I don’t know what they deem ‘acceptable’ where you’re from, but here in New York, we don’t look kindly to that sort of talk. Now if you don’t want your vacation ruined, I would recommend that you put an end to the racist rhetoric, or I will be forced to bring you in for inciting a hate crime.”  
  
The couples looked at each other and then to her, sheepishly. “We’re sorry.” They murmured, all the piss and vinegar berated from them. The elevator doors opened none to soon, and they hastily made their way up to their rooms.  
  
Maya watched the exchange with wonderment. “That was AWSOME!” She said as Lindsay came back to the couch. “I wish I had the nerve to do that!”  
  
“It helps to have the badge to back it up. I bet they won’t be doing that again any time soon!” Lindsay smirked, but as quickly as the mood dissipated, it hung heavily again.  
  
“You must have your hands full with the Jamal Brown case down at the lab.” Maya mentioned to her friend, noticing her shift. “How do you cope with such sadness?”  
  
“The hardest part is staying impartial,” she admitted, “but I have a ritual.” Maya looked at her quizzically. “I say a prayer for the victim first, and then I promise him or her that I will do everything I can to get to the truth.” She explained. “I can’t let the circumstances cloud my judgement, no matter how tragic they are.”  
  
“They were holding a rally down the street from Flack’s place this afternoon.” Maya disclosed.  
  
“I know. They’re popping up all over the city.” Lindsay revealed, “There’s a big one tonight.”  
  
“At the Brooklyn Bridge,” Maya nodded, “I almost went.”  
  
Lindsay was surprised, “Really? I wouldn’t have pegged you...”  
  
“Me neither. My friend Astrid thinks that I should become involved, being that I’m apparently a minor ‘celebrity’ and all.” Maya divulged. “Emphasis on minor... But it seems kind of audacious.” She sighed as she took a sip of her drink. “He feels it’s my duty.”  
  
“What do you feel?”  
  
“I...I feel guilty.”  
  
“Guilty?” Lindsay probed. “Of what?”  
  
“Y’know... it’s been said that racism has been able to flourish because in the past it’s been basically ignored. Every few years another protest erupts, only to be pushed away and forgotten. But I’m just as guilty of that.” She explained, “I don’t get involved, and I’ve always tried to ignore all the racist shit bullies have thrown my way. However I realize now that I’ve just been empowering them. If I had been brave enough to speak up then, instead of running away, it might have made a difference. Maybe it could have stopped someone else from being hurt.”  
  
“You don’t know what might have happened, but if you feel you’ve been too impartial in the past, you have another opportunity to speak up now, and maybe you can actually make a difference for someone. Even if that someone is yourself.”  
  
“My manager would kill me! Besides, they’ve already made it clear that I’d be in breach of contract or something.”  
  
“I’m not just talking about the protests, Maya.”  
  
Maya looked into Lindsay’s sincere hazel eyes, and took off her sunglasses, habitually bringing her hand to her forehead. “Ow.” She had temporarily forgotten about the bruise that still lingered there. “Wow, you and Don are really on the same page, aren’t you?” She noted.  
  
“Occupational hazard,” Lindsay shrugged. “When we see a wrong, we want to right it.” It was hard not to gasp at seeing Maya’s black eyes for the first time.  
  
“I suppose I have been a little judgemental, Don was just looking out for me.” Maya confessed. Noticing Lindsay’s look of sympathy, she quickly replaced her sunglasses back on her face. “It’s just that he scares me now.”  
  
“I agree Flack can be intense,” Lindsay admitted. “But it’s his job. He’s the protector.”  
  
Maya smiled at a memory. “Yeah... he’s good at that. All the kids at school used to call him my ‘Gladiator’, because he would tower along behind me!” Knowing it was none of her business, she asked quietly, “Lindsay, have... you ever shot anyone?”  
  
“Mmm-Hmm,” She nodded as she took a sip of her drink. “There’s another side to me, too.”  
  
Maya looked at the gentle, caring woman sitting beside her. “You?” She questioned disbelievingly, wondering if she had been too hard on Flack.  
  
“Yup,” Lindsay disclosed, “but it only comes out when I need it, like when I’m chasing down a criminal, or if my family’s in danger.” She thought for a moment and continued, “And don’t think I’m not quaking in my boots the whole time... I am! But I do what I have to...” she lowered her voice and confided, “What’s expected of me.”  
  
“I’m afraid I lashed out and said some things to him that I shouldn’t have.” Breathing a heavy sigh, Maya pondered her actions. “Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?”  
  
“Of course!” Lindsay laughed, reassuringly. “He LOVES you!”  
  
“I don’t know...” she waffled, “I said some awful things.”  
  
“You don’t know unless you try...”  
  
“You’re right, I need to apologize.” Maya conceded. “I’ll go when we’re done. I have to return his keys, anyways. Are you heading home after this?”  
  
“Nah, Danny gets off in a couple of hours, I think I’ll go back to the lab and wait for him.” Lindsay decided. “I could start processing some of your evidence.”  
  
“Ohhhh, I can see now I’m going to owe you an amazing dinner to say thank you!”  
  
“Only if you’re dining with me!”  
  
“It’s a date!” Grinning broadly, Maya raised her glass for a toast.  
_____________________________________________________________________

“Mac!” Danny said as he ran into his office, “I’m glad you’re still here!”  
  
“I’m always here, Danny,” Mac assured him, “and I’ll stay here until this is all over.”  
  
“Well, hopefully this’ll get you home sooner,” Danny showed him his file. “Officer Soriano said there was a jolt before he fired, right?”  
  
“You’ve got my attention..”  
  
“Supposing that ‘jolt’ came from a frozen water bottle?” Danny suggested, “I know for a fact skinheads like to throw frozen ones because they’re more painful when they hit. Supposing it was a water bottle that hit Officer Soriano and made him fire?”  
  
“I don’t need suppositions, Danny. I want facts.”  
  
“Alright, Fact... Sheldon found the water bottle at the scene, it was the only water bottle in the vicinity. Fact... the seal was broken, and I managed to get DNA from saliva around the rim. Fact... the DNA found matched a White Supremacist well known to police.”  
  
“You gotta name?”  
  
“Michael Elgers.  
  
“Michael Elgers! You’ve dealt with him before.” Mac stated. “I thought he was sent away for hate crimes.”  
  
“Apparently he’s out.”  
  
“And back to his old tricks. But this is all circumstantial, Danny. There’s no proof that the bottle caused the rifle to fire.”  
  
“Ah, there’s where the last ‘Fact’ makes all the difference!” Danny announced proudly. “I managed to find touch DNA transferred from the bottle-cap onto the rifle, and the hand position proves that it was thrown. There’s no doubt this bottle is the weapon that triggered the gun.”  
  
“That’s good work, Danny.” Mac commended. “Get an order to pick him up. But don’t go with them, send a detective. I don’t need Michael Elgers claiming bias.”  
  
“You got it, Mac!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don’t usually post warnings before my chapters, but this one has graphic racial statements.  
> if you are disturbed by that, please do not read on.  
> This chapter was especially difficult for me to write,  
> so please leave comments and tell me if you feel I’ve crossed the line.  
> Thank you

Maya sat impatiently in the taxicab as it crawled through the traffic. “Has there been an accident?” She asked the driver as he listened to the cackling voice on the other end his phone.  
  
“There’s something happening at the Brooklyn Bridge, and it’s creating a bottleneck.” He yelled back over the persistent sound of car horns and arguing that surrounded them.  
  
“The Brooklyn Bridge?” Maya asked, rhetorically. She glanced down the street at the glow of the sunset pressed against the rapidly darkening sky, and handed him a twenty dollar bill. “That’s ok, I’ll get out here.” She told him as she alit from the taxi. “Thanks.”  
  
Maya barely noticed the crowds of people hurriedly walking in the opposite direction as she wandered toward the din of the protests, drawn like a moth to the flame. The scene around the bridge was chaotic. Trying to find Astrid would be next to impossible. And to exacerbate things, a smokey fog had spread throughout the area, making it difficult to recognize anyone. The outcries from the protesters against menacing shouts of angry white supremacists were deafening as police with megaphones screamed orders to keep the peace. Maya finally gave up, and began to leave the skate park. As she came back up to the mouth of the bridge, she passed a hastily assembled first aid tent. Having no compatriots, and failing to find Astrid, she decided to approach the harried nurse and offer her help. The nurse gave her a look of gratitude, and nodded to the stack of water bottles to the side. “You can help pass those out.” She told her. “Just give one to anyone who passes by.”  
  
Maya unwrapped the individual bottles, loaded herself up with as many as she could carry, went around to the front of the tent and began to give them away. The hope was that Astrid would walk by and she would be reunited with her old friend. From the safety of the first aid station, she was able to witness the insanity that followed. The protest seemed peaceful at first, with people marching down the road carrying signs and chanting declarations of solidarity in unison.  
  
Then, as more people began to join the masses, screams of anger arose from the middle of the bridge. “They’ve blocked off the other side!” Someone cried out as he ran past her. “They’re trapped!” Maya could only watch helplessly as mounted policemen moved in, nudging the people with their horses that had managed to slip by, bullying them out of the way, as they started to move closer to the middle of the bridge. Riot police stayed at the peripheral in a long line across the road ready to deal with any violence that erupted. Fights began to break out as panicked demonstrators clashed with Neo-Nazis, who had arrived to instigate as much chaos as possible.  
  
Through the haze, Maya spotted Astrid and his companions engaged in a war of words with a camouflage-clothed skinhead and his equally menacing friends. The camouflaged man pushed Astrid, who tried to get past him and back over to the relative safety of the skate park. Maya dropped the rest of her water bottles as she saw the man’s friends descend on Astrid and raced toward him. Suddenly a large figure grabbed her by the waist and moved her back. Fear replaced consternation as she kept pushing against her assailer, watching Astrid disappear in the melee as she screamed out his name. “Stop it!” A familiar voice growled at her.  
  
Shocked, Maya’s focus was broken, and she stared up at Flack’s face. “What are you...?”  
  
Flack’s dark eyebrows furrowed, accentuating his ire. “I didn’t follow you, if that’s what you’re wondering, I got the call. It’s all hands on deck out here.” He barked at her, “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a riot breaking out.”  
  
Maya struggled against him some more. “I’ve got to help Astrid!” She pointed to the heap of people in the centre of the bridge.  
  
“Let the police handle it.” Flack advised. Sure enough, the mounted policemen were already at the scene, batons raised.  
  
“NO!” She protested, “They’re gonna hurt him!”  
  
“Hey!” He dodged her blows which landed harmlessly on his bullet proof vest. “You want me to take you in?”  
  
“You wanna arrest me?” She kicked him, hard. “ARREST ME!”  
  
“OW!” He protested, as he pinned her up against a police car. “Alright, that’s enough!” Catching the attention of an officer, he asked, “This your car?”  
  
The officer nodded.  
  
“Open it.” The policeman did as he was told, and Flack threw Maya into the back seat. “Stay put.” He ordered her as he slammed the door in her face.  
  
Somewhat irked that he was treating her like an errant dog, she wrenched down on the door handle, but to no avail. Trapped, she pummelled the window, as she watched Flack take off toward the ensuing riot.  
  
After several minutes of nerve-wracking uncertainty, she finally observed through a gap in the crowd, the disconcerting image of Astrid being carried away on a stretcher. Tears turned into relief however, when she saw him holding a triumphant fist in the air as he was loaded into an awaiting ambulance. Soon the siren began to wail, racing off toward the hospital. Unsuccessfully trying the door handle again, she scowled and slouched back in her seat, still upset at the sudden turn of events. She examined her prison, searching for any escape, but of course there was none, being that she was in a police car and they had already thought of everything possible to keep criminals captive in the cramped space. It smelled bad in there. REALLY bad. She just wanted out, and it could be ages before Flack returned for her. That is if he even remembered which car he had deposited her in.  
  
Less than an hour later, little bursts of flame appeared on the road. Consternation grew again as Maya noticed someone was throwing Molotov Cocktails, and they were coming closer to the car. Pulling on the door handle in earnest this time, she could only watch helplessly while a throng of people advanced like a swarm of angry bees up the road, and riot police marched into position. It was then she realized, SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE! The crowd, emboldened by their sheer mass, began to descend on the row of police cars, upset at the show of authority. Maya felt the car she was in begin to rock back and forth wildly and grabbed at anything she could to anchor herself.  
  
Flack and a uniformed officer had just turned the corner on the way back to the car with a rioter in handcuffs when he saw an angry mob surrounding the parked police cars, trying to tip them. The one in the middle, where he had put Maya, suddenly flipped over as he left the officer with his ward and ran toward the crushed vehicle. Policemen standing by managed to get the crowd away just as the car, its trail of gasoline ignited by a stray fire-bomb, burst into flames, making its way down the street. Alarmed, Flack ran towards it, calling Maya’s name. A quick thinking officer grabbed a fire extinguisher from his trunk and coated the car with foam as firemen appeared from nowhere, hoses in hand, putting out the rest of the flames. One fireman stopped him. “You can’t go any closer Lieutenant, we have to get everyone out of here, it could explode at any minute.”  
  
“There’s someone still in there....” Flack tried to explain, but stopped when he heard banging beside him and a muffled voice calling his name. There, still in the police car he had left her in, was Maya. Visibly relieved, he opened the door. She immediately leapt out and adhered herself to him tightly, not willing to let go. Flack pulled back, looking into her tear-streaked face. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.” Once riot police converged on the crowd, it was time for the regular police to get out of their way. Maya nodded adamantly, her ebony eyes wide with fear.  
______________________________________________________________________

Danny watched Michael Elgers in the interrogation room through the two-way glass. The heavily tattooed Neo-Nazi sat handcuffed to the table on the other side of the wall. His head was shaved, proudly showing off the intimidating swastika etched on the back. “Whatever happens, do NOT come into the room.” Mac advised him.  
  
“I won’t.” Danny assured him, “I learnt my lesson from the last time.” Two years ago, enraged by Elgers’ racist remarks, he had almost beaten him senseless, losing control and banging his head repeatedly on the ground. If Sheldon hadn’t been there to pull him off the man, he could have lost his badge. Danny wasn’t about to repeat that again, clearly Elgers knew what buttons to push.  
  
Elgers sneered derisively as Mac entered the room. “Detective Taylor, isn’t it?” He asked, knowing full well who he was. “Where’s your Wop lackey? Too scared to come in and talk to me?”  
  
Danny stiffened briefly from the viewing room, but held his ground.  
  
Mac merely sat across from him and threw his file folder on the table. “We have evidence that you were at the Brooklyn Bridge last night.”  
  
“A lot of us were there last night. Someone had to keep the Darkies and Kykes in line.” He spat out, revelling in the distress he was causing Mac.  
  
Whatever discomfort Mac was feeling, he hid it well. “Yes, but you were the only one that threw this water bottle.” Cutting to the chase, he showed him the container, sealed in an evidence bag.  
  
“You have no proof I threw the water bottle, anyone could have grabbed it.”  
  
“That’s where you’re wrong. Your DNA was all over the bottle, and on the gun you hit with it, causing Officer Soriano to fire into the bus.” Mac lied. It was touch DNA at best, which was generally used more to eliminate a suspect than implicate him.  
  
“It’s not my fault that Dego cop misfired when I tossed the bottle.” Elgers scoffed, secure in the fact that he wasn’t responsible for the death that ensued. “He did us all a favour, it’s too bad he only got one of them Coons. The world’s better off without them.”  
  
“Can I quote you on that?”  
  
Elgers leaned forward in his chair, menacingly. “Yeah. The fewer Apes there are out there, the better. If I had my way, they’d all be Alligator Bait.”  
  
Mac opened the door and called out to the officer standing by. “Get this repulsive Cretin out of here.” He turned to Elgers as he started to leave the room. “Your statement is going to keep you in prison for a long, long time.” He informed him. “Officer Soriano may have inadvertently pulled the trigger, but you were the shooter. He was just the weapon. Let’s see how you like being ‘Alligator Bait’ in Rikers.”  
  
Elgers stared after Mac, dumbfounded as the officer picked him up off his chair and ushered him to lockup.  
  
Mac let out a deep breath as he went back into the observation room. “Great job, Mac!” Danny applauded him. “You got a confession out of him. I wouldn’t have kept such a cool head. That should clear Officer Soriano.”  
  
“Soriano’s not off the hook, either. His negligence is going to force him to lose his badge over this.” Mac shook his head remorsefully. “There’s no winner here, Danny.”  
______________________________________________________________________________

“What were you doing there?” Flack chastised Maya as he led her into his apartment. “I told you to avoid the bridge.”  
  
“I was on my way back here.” She defended herself, “I wanted to return your keys.”  
  
“You never listen to me.” Taking the keys from her, he hung them back beside the door.  
  
“I didn’t mean to go down there.” Maya insisted.  
  
“You NEVER listen to me.” He reiterated. “Not about the riots, not about how dangerous it is to pick up strangers...”  
  
“What are you? My father?” Flack gave her a disparaging look, and Maya regretted what she said immediately. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.”  
  
“You didn’t gave me a chance to have my say earlier. You just ran off like you always do.”  
  
“I know, I was angry and upset,”  
  
“And pig-headed...”  
  
“And pig-headed,” she conceded, “and I said some things I shouldn’t have.”  
  
“Look, it’s bad enough that you’re a hothead,” Flack divulged, “but you can’t go about hurling yourself into an angry mob of people. If I hadn’t been there, you could have gotten seriously hurt.”  
  
“Yeah, well your solution wasn’t stellar either!” She lashed back, “What were you thinking, locking me in a police car!”  
  
“I was keeping you safe!”  
  
“And how did that work out? Huh? You almost got me killed!”  
  
“That was one of the scariest moments in my life, Maya,” he admitted, “when I thought you were in that police car.”  
  
Maya quietly reflected on the sobering incident, and sat down at the table. “Well, I wasn’t.”  
  
She looked like she did when she was a kid, Flack thought as he watched her with her head resting on her arms. He mirrored her actions, folding his arms and perching his head across from her on the table so that they were eye-to-eye. “I’m sorry for everything that happened, Kiddo. I’m sorry things aren’t the same between you and me.”  
  
“Me too.” Maya admitted. “Look, I wasn’t completely honest about why I didn’t call you when I came back into town.”  
  
“You mean when you disclosed that it was because I had become a ‘trained killer’?” He said disdainfully.  
  
“No, I mean... yeah. I’m sorry if I hurt you. I understand now that it’s your job...” she finally met his gaze. “But it’s not a game any more, and it’s all too real for me. I don’t think I can handle it if something actually happened to you.” She confessed. “I guess I’d rather imagine you living a happy normal life, instead of facing danger behind every door.”  
  
“Hey, Kiddo. I know why you’re clinging on to our childhood, it was a time when you felt safe. You’ve been through a lot, and my house was a haven for you. I get that.” Flack said gently. “Look, I can’t promise you that nothing’s ever gonna happen to me, but don’t push me away because you’re afraid... personally or otherwise... You needn’t be afraid of me, Maya.” He assured her. “I keep my personal life separate from my professional life. You have to understand that when I’m on the job I do what I have to do to keep my vow to ‘Serve and Protect’.”  
  
“What’s expected of you.” Maya was reminded of what Lindsay had said to her earlier.  
  
“Yeah.” Flack knew she understood. “Truce?”  
  
She smiled and agreed. “Truce.” They reached across the table and pumped fists like they did when they were kids.  
  
“Hey,” he said as he reached over to the counter. “I found something of yours.”  
  
“Something of mine?” He handed her a picture. It was the four of them. Her mother and his mother with Flack and her as toddlers. She stared at the old photo with disbelief. “She did have long hair like mine!” Maya was barely able to say as she looked across the table at Flack, tears of gratitude brimming in her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

PART TWO

Maya looked up from playing with Grace the next morning just as Flack came into the living room. “Good morning, Husky-eyes!” She greeted him, jokingly.

“Good morning, yourself, Red Panda.” He returned grouchily, in no mood for teasing before his morning coffee. After settling Maya down on the couch the night before, he had returned to the altercation to clear out the last of the protesters and rioters, and didn’t get in until four in the morning. Which resulted in his getting only four hours sleep. 

Maya jumped off the couch. “Red Panda...” she repeated, suddenly remembering what she had all but forgotten, but had hoped it wasn’t so. “Damn,” she remarked as she viewed herself in the bathroom mirror, “How long is this going to go on for?” She called out to Flack, “I’m getting tired of wearing sunglasses all the time.” Maya came back out and sighed as she admitted, “Last night I ran into the wall.”

“Oh...” Flack answered, slightly preoccupied with the coffee machine, “Your black eyes? Probably about two weeks, at least.”

Maya groaned as she flopped back onto the couch. “My head hurts.”

“No doubt,” Flack surmised as he brought down coffee cups from the cupboard, “the swelling is probably putting pressure on your eyes. You should take it easy today.” Finally starting to feel himself again, he grinned wickedly, “Otherwise your eyeballs might just pop right out of your head!”

Before Maya had a chance to respond, her cellphone rang. She recognized the name displayed, and smiled. “Hey, Lindsay!” She listened for a moment. “No, I’m at Juni... Flack’s place. He insisted I stay over last night. He’s right here if you want to talk to him... Oh right, you’re calling on MY phone...” she hesitated confusion rife on her face, “Really? Now?” She glanced over at Flack, “Alone?” She listened to the voice on the other end, “OK, I’ll meet you down at the precinct in...” Flack held up three fingers and mouthed ‘thirty’. “Half an hour? K, see you then!” Maya hung up the phone. “You wanna give me a ride?” She asked Flack sweetly.  
_____________________________________

“Why did you ask me here?” Maya wondered aloud as she sat in Olivia’s office. Lindsay had brought her there that morning, after they had met up at the 12th precinct.  
  
Olivia stayed seated at her desk. “Are you sure you didn’t recognize any of the men that raped you last weekend?” She probed.  
  
“No,” Maya confirmed, “I don’t think so. Why?”  
  
“The DNA results came back this morning.” Olivia began as Lindsay put her hand on Maya’s supportively. “There was a match.”  
Maya frowned, not understanding what they were getting at. “To who?”  
  
Lindsay looked at Olivia as if to ask if she should break the bad news. Olivia nodded slightly. “Maya.” She held her hand tightly. “There was a sample from your rape kit that matched the tank top from fifteen years ago.”  
  
Maya pulled her hand away in shock. “No, you must be wrong.” She gauged the face of one woman against the other, to make sure they weren’t playing some sick joke. “You must have gotten the samples mixed up somehow.”  
  
“That’s impossible.” Lindsay insisted. “They’re all labelled. And I double checked everything to make sure.”  
  
“But that would mean...” Maya’s voice trailed off as the nefariousness of the situation began to dawn on her.  
  
“You said you thought you might have been set up.” Olivia interjected, trying to help her come to terms with the new information.  
  
“I meant by the guy... at the... bar...”  
  
“We think someone sent the man you met at the bar to seduce you.” Olivia broke the news as gently as possible, “and he came in later with the others. Are you SURE you didn’t recognize anyone?” She reiterated.  
  
“I’m not sure of anything any more. Do you know who he is?” Maya inquired.  
  
Lindsay shook her head. “There were no hits on CODIS, but we’re running all the other samples as well. A crime like this won’t only be committed by first-timers. There’s bound to be at least one match, and he’ll be able to point the finger at the ringleader.”  
  
As if it wasn’t serious enough already, Olivia pointed out the gravity of the situation. “We have a serial rapist, Maya, and the only tie to him that we know of, is you.”


End file.
